As per Garden Valley School Division policy, every four years and after the election, the Board will review its mission statement, beliefs, and goals by inviting education stakeholders to a division strategic planning session.

Every January, the plan is reviewed by the Board with its senior and school administrators. On January 15, 2015 the GVSD Strategic Planning event was held in Winkler at a local church. An outside facilitator, Roy Siedler from ROAR Leadership, was brought into lead the process.

Representatives from stakeholder groups included trustees, senior administration, principals, teachers, students, parents, a chamber of commerce rep, and a Winkler area youth leader. The event participants were divided into 6 groups for the day and were asked to work through the following agenda:

Prior to the event, all schools submitted a report on what they believed were the divisions strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The reports were distributed to all participants in a participants package prior to January 15. Common themes from the school reports were reviewed and highlighted by each of the groups. Based on these common themes, the groups brainstormed possible new objectives for the division to pursue. Each group was asked to record their top three objectives. From the group reports on possible new objectives, the following five themes emerged.

1.Professional Learning Communities (PLC)2.Literacy3.Numeracy4.Relevant and Engaging Learning5.Social Emotional Well Being

Participants were asked to sit at one of the five theme tables to further explore the topic and provide more detailed information for Board review. The information gathered at the January 15 planning session was reviewed by Sr. Administratiom, the Principals Council, the board executive, board standing committees (Education, Operations, Finance), and the entire Board. Subsequently, of the five possible goals, the below three were selected with the understanding that ‘student engagement’ and ‘student well being’, through existing division structures (Principal’s Council, Guidance Counsellors Committee), will be addressed on an as needed basis. The Board also receives strategic plan progress reports three times annually and meets with Senior and School Administrators every January to review and, if necessary, revise the plan in an effort to continually meet the needs of students.

The Board felt the current mission statement captured the sentiments expressed at the Jan. 15/2015 planning session and, as over the past four years, continues to express the division’s primary mission for the communities it serves. Recognizing that relationships are the foundation of public education, the board has added one new additional belief statement: Positive relationshipsare the key to facilitating excellent education.

The Board wishes to thank all those who participated in the formulation of the GVSD strategic plan. The goals set are based on a process as outlined in policy. This process has served the division well through rapid growth and the building of three new schools. Since education is a dynamic human endeavor that continually changes, the plan, as in the past, will be reviewed and revised as needed. The board looks forward to partnering with students, staff, parents, and the community as together, we “influence the future!”